The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (better known as the people that get paid to smash cars into walls) recently put 11 mini cars — including well-known models like the Fiat 500, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, and Toyota Prius C — through its newest form of crash-testing. The results were not good, with only one of the tested vehicles earning an overall “Acceptable” rating. [More]
kia
Hyundai & Kia To Refund Total Of $395 Million To Customers Over Misstated Mileage Claims
By 12.23.13
Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency found that Hyundai and Kia had misrepresented the gas mileage on around 900,000 vehicles sold between 2010 and 2012, leading to several current and former owners of these vehicles to sue the South Korean car makers. Today, the companies announced they had reached a settlement deal that would refund up to $395 million to customers. [More]
Kia’s Viral Commercials Are All About The Hamsters, Not So Much The Cars
By 8.27.13
The original commercial for the Kia Soul wasn’t quite like anything else in car ads. While it was computer-animated and probably not cheap to produce, the full one-minute spot received millions of views on YouTube. Kia’s cute hamsters and clear storyline got everyone’s attention, and that was the company’s goal. [More]
Hyundai And Kia Recall 1.7 Million Vehicles Because Brake Lights Are Supposed To Work When You Brake
By 4.3.13
The entire point of brake lights on a car are to indicate to others that the driver has pressed the brake, so it’s a bit of a problem when that fails to happen, or when pressing the brake doesn’t disengage the vehicle’s cruise control like it should. And thus we have the reason why 1.7 million Kia and Hyundai vehicles are being recalled. [More]
EPA Report Says Hyundai & Kia Overstated Mileage Claims On 900,000 Cars
By 11.2.12
Yesterday Hyundai and Kia admitted to overstating the estimated fuel economy of about 900,000 cars by way of window stickers since 2010, after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency started poking around. That’s a major no-no, so the companies will now have to shell out millions of dollars to customers to make up for those faulty claims. [More]
Consumer Reports Announces Its Top Car Picks For 2011
By 2.28.11
Our test-happy kin at Consumer Reports have released their annual auto issue, which means it’s time for the magazine’s list of its top picks in 10 categories. [More]
More People Want To Buy Car After It's Used As Slam Dunk Contest Prop
By 2.24.11
Even though it didn’t put up much defense as Blake Griffin posterized it during Saturday’s NBA slam dunk contest, the Kia Optima became much more desirable after Griffin used it as a prop. [More]
Hey Ladies, What Is It About The VW Beetle That You Love So Much?
By 6.16.10
I have a very distinct memory of being 11 and riding in the car with my recently licensed big brother, who of course knew everything there is to know about cars and girls. We pulled up next to an old VW bug being driven by an attractive woman, and after he slugged me in the arm he sagely stated, “Man, there’s nothing as cool as a girl who drives a Volkswagen.” And maybe he was right, because 23 years later the VW Beetle is the car with the highest rate of female ownership. [More]
The 10 Most Reliable Car Brands VS Your Preconceived Notions
By 1.12.09
Consumer Reports just did a study about car brand perceptions, so we thought we’d compare the top 10 most highly perceived brands to their list of the most reliable car brands.
Zombie Trade-Ins! When The Dealership Goes Under, Your Old Cars Come Back To Haunt You
By 12.4.08
Meet Christine O’Kelly. She just bought a new Kia and traded in her old car. Kia of La Quinta, California sold her a new Sorento and offered her $4,000 for her trade-in. They then took the other $4,000 she owed on her old car and rolled it into the new loan. That was in October. Now she’s getting calls from former employees of the now out-of-business dealership — telling her that she is still responsible for the trade-in and had better come pick it up.
By 7.6.07
../../../..//2007/07/06/man-blogs-effort-to-get/
Man blogs effort to get Kia car that randomly turns off while driving it returned under Oregon lemon law.
7 Confessions Of A Car Salesman: Kia
By 4.5.07
Carl spent some time selling Kias at a dealership in Colorado, and has written in with a few insights about Kia, selling cars, and some buying strategies for you. Some highlights:
Consumerist Confessions: Tell Us About Cars…
By 3.27.07
The Consumerist is interested in hearing from car salespeople and customer service representatives in the automotive field. We’re looking for tips related to buying a new or used car. If you are or once were a car salesperson or worked in a car dealership and would like to confess, write to us at tips [at] consumerist [dot] com.
